Since he was selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft, Miami native Vernon Carey had grown comfortable in his role as an offensive tackle for the Dolphins. His place on the right side of the offensive line for all but one season (2007) was a given before the 2011 training camp.

But Head Coach Tony Sparano and offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo recognized a big hole existed at right guard next to rookie center Mike Pouncey and decided that Carey was a better option than second-year guard John Jerry. His veteran leadership and athleticism convinced the two that they were doing the right thing, and soon enough Carey proved them right with a complete performance in a Monday night loss at the New York Jets.

“Honestly, I would argue Vernon played the best upfront the other night. He’s really starting to look like a guard in there, he really is,” Sparano said. “I know there are some people out there who don’t really believe in that. I’m telling you, you’re making a mistake. This guy is going to be a good guard, a really good guard, I think down the road. It’s just going to take time.”

What was most impressive in that pivotal AFC East game at MetLife Stadium was Carey’s prowess as a pulling guard on designed runs to the left. He got out of his stance very fast after the ball was snapped and was in the gap over left guard Richie Incognito in a flash, leading rookie running backs Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush through the hole.

With Carey, Pouncey and Incognito holding down the middle of the line scrimmage, more running lanes open up and quarterback Matt Moore has clearer passing lanes to connect with his receivers. Moves like the ones Carey showed against the Jets have impressed his teammates.

“Vernon’s always been a tremendous athlete and he’s got all the tools,” said tight end Anthony Fasano, who has become a solid blocker in his own right. “So we knew he could make that switch and he’s done a good job so far.”

Back in college at the University of Miami, Carey did play some guard and has the natural body type to fit that role, but it had been so long by the time Sparano asked him to make the switch. The 6-foot-5, 340-pound lineman was willing to do whatever it took to help the team.

“I think I’m 100 percent better than at the start of camp,” Carey said. “Just understanding where you’re help is going to be with the center and the tackle; I know where the tackle is going to be most of the times but it was just understanding where the center is going to be at because when I was at tackle all I wanted to know was where was the Mike call. That was it because most of the time I’m just blocking the end anyway on tackle. But at guard you have to work with the tackle and the center, so it’s just more work on both sides.”

Nate Garner knows a thing or two about the challenge of playing multiple positions along the offensive line as he has played everywhere. Two years ago he lined up at four different positions in a game against the Carolina Panthers.

So far this season he has filled in at left guard for Incognito and been brought in as an extra tight end in certain packages to help shore things up next to right tackle Marc Colombo and Carey. He has seen a dramatic upturn in Carey’s development.

“It’s really tough because you’re in a phone both in there compared to being out on an island out there at tackle and then all the angles are different,” Carey said. “The angles of attack compared to taking on a wide five are completely different. It’s pretty difficult to pick up real fast but I think he’s done a great job at it. He’s still the same Vernon. He’s always having fun and just loves playing football.”

Carey admitted there are still a lot of things he needs to work on in order to improve at his new position, like remembering to block another player after passing off his defender to either Pouncey or Columbo. He considers both the guard and tackle positions to be hard but gives guard a slight edge in difficulty because there is more happening inside and more of a physical challenge dealing with some of the big defensive guys and their athleticism.

Carey also considers pass blocking to be tougher than run blocking on the interior of the line because he has to get out of his stance quicker and be ready for the defender to either go to his outside or inside. He feels he has come pretty far since the first preseason game at Atlanta when defenders were beating him to the backfield quite often.

“I had the two-eye, the inside eye of the guard and outside, and I was trying to cut him off and the guy was making plays in the backfield and I was trying to compare it to tackle,” Carey said. “It’s just different. You’ve got that guy trying to shoot the gap and it was more difficult for me to get around. But I shed a couple of pounds, like 10 pounds during training camp, to try to get inside and now I can move a little bit better. It’s just about getting there, being quick and being confident in what you’re doing, just like when you were at tackle, just being confident in what you do and it will take you a long ways.”

Sparano agrees.

“It goes back to that deal there where if he was there in March, how much further ahead we’d be,” he said. “When you’re pulling and something happens fast on the run and you’re not used to that, it takes a little bit of time to see some of that. Is a linebacker coming underneath me or is he coming outside of me? Do I come around this or do I come under? And he’s starting to figure that out a little bit. He’s playing a lot faster in there right now.”

That’s not what the New York Giants’ defensive line wants to hear.

INJURY UPDATE: Cornerback Vontae Davis (hamstring) did not practice for the third straight day and is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game. … Left guard Richie Incognito (ankle), running back Daniel Thomas (hamstring), free safety Reshad Jones (knee) and defensive end Kendall Langford (hip) all were limited and are listed as questionable. … Right tackle Marc Colombo (knee), cornerback Nolan Carroll (hamstring), free safety Chris Clemons (hamstring), defensive end Jared Odrick (knee), running back Reggie Bush (neck), rookie wide receiver Clyde Gates (groin) and quarterback Matt Moore (ribs) practiced in full and are probable. … For the Giants, rookie cornerback Prince Amukamara (foot) is officially out despite being limited in practice. … Fullback Henry Hynoski (neck) did not practice and is doubtful. … Offensive tackle Stacy Andrews (back) did not practice and defensive end Justin Tuck (groin/neck) was limited, with both being listed as questionable. … Linebacker Michael Boley (knee), running back Brandon Jacobs (knee), defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee) and guard Chris Snee (concussion) participated in a full practice and are being listed as probable.

DOLPHINS TIDBITS: As the players stretched inside the bubble before today’s practice the musical theme appeared to be retro 1980s. The 1986 dance hit “Candy” by the funk group Cameo got things started, followed by Michael Jackson’s 1983 masterpiece “Thriller.” Closing things out was Bon Jovi’s classic from the 1986 multi-platinum album Slippery When Wet, “You Give Love A Bad Name.” Pouncey showed off a couple “Thriller” dance moves and rookie wide receiver Clyde Gates performed a nifty moonwalk at the end of that song. … Sparano is an avid baseball fan, which is why it was widely assumed during his press conference that he must have watched Game 6 of the World Series last night between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. “You know I’m embarrassed to say this but I have not watched one inning of the whole thing and I am a baseball fan,” Sparano said. “Honestly, I had to hear today that there is another game. I really had no idea. I’m embarrassed to say it. (The) Mets aren’t in it so …”